The art of pipe insulating and methods of applying the same are manifold. Exemplary of such art are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,023,589 to Rejeski; 3,992,237 to Gerholt et al; 3,955,601 to Plummer III; 3,941,159 to Toll; 3,849,240 to Mikulak; and 3,613,737 to Schoeming. It is also known to insulate pipes with a layer of insulation material such as fiberglass and thereafter wrap the fiberglass with an outer layer of plastic material. This known method and materials requires the applicator to first apply the fiberglass wrap in sections and to tie or apply adhesive tape at the beginning and end of a section and at intervals along the length of the wrap. The application of plastic wrap material requires wraping in sections and the application of adhesive tapes or sealants well known to those skilled in the art to the seam in an effort to provide a tight seal. Such prior art methods and materials require additional time and materials to tie the insulation to the pipe and to apply tape and/or sealant material to the seams of the plastic wrap to keep moisture out. Such prior art applications require much more time and effort and at times involve an awkward and/or messy operation.
Accordingly, it is a desirable object of the present invention to provide a method and system for insulating pipes which overcomes the problems of the prior art.
Another desirable object of the present invention is to provide a method of insulating pipes which reduces time and materials and which permits rapid installation.
Another desirable object of the present invention is to provide a system for insulating pipes which is formed of flexible materials and which includes an inner thermal barrier and an outer vapor barrier. The outer vapor barrier material provides a self seal during application which holds the system in place about the pipe without the need for separate adhesives or sealants.
A still further desirable object of the present invention is to provide a pipe insulation system adapted to be easily applied about a pipe conduit embraced by a heat tracer member.
Another desirable object of the invention is to provide a pipe insulation system which provides means for identification of different pipeline services or functions.
The above and other desired objects, apparent from the drawing and following description, may be attained by the apparatus, construction, arrangements and combinations, subcombinations and parts which comprise the present invention, preferred embodiments of which are illustrative of the mode in which applicant has contemplated applying the principal, being set forth in detail in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.